There's no excuse for the selfishness of binge-drinking mothers-to-be

Just how selfish have we become as a society? There is always an excuse for the inexcusable and it has to stop.

A recent WA Health study conducted by Curtin University, the University of WA and the Cancer Council of WA has found that pregnant women are more likely to binge drink than other women.

A recent WA Health study found that pregnant women are more likely to binge drink than other women.

Apparently, there is a growing cohort of older women pregnant with their second or third child reassuring themselves that because they drank in their first pregnancy and their child turned out fine, everything will turn out fine.

This just defies belief.

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Life used to be about putting the needs of your unborn baby above your own. The majority of people want what's best for their children and want to be able to give their children even better opportunities that they had themselves.

People are now searching for someone to give them the green light for situations and facts that they know are wrong but simply refuse to accept.

Australian guidelines have been around for a long time and advise pregnant women and those intending to become pregnant not to drink at all.

It is the same story when it comes to not smoking during pregnancy. Health experts tell you not to do it.

But there are always those who seem to think that they can ignore these warnings and even get angry when their dangerous and selfish behaviour is pointed out.

Yet, these are the same people who would expect and demand society to pick up the pieces and "fix up" any problems that may appear later as a result of their poor choices.

It has long been known that alcohol can cause damage to the unborn child at any time during pregnancy, and the actual level of harm is dependent on the amount and frequency of alcohol use.

The dangers of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are nothing new. The prevalence of FASD within Australia is difficult to determine, but we know it is on the increase. Yet it is so easily preventable - just do not drink alcohol during pregnancy.

The saddest thing is that the actual characteristic features within the FASD spectrum are rarely apparent at birth and may not be noticed until the child reaches school age, when behavioural and learning difficulties become problematic.

This latest WA study is alarming and reveals that some expectant mothers are drinking because of perceived social norms and pressure whilst others do not want to "give away" their pregnancy in the first trimester.

One third of pregnant women planned to have five or more drinks in a single session.

Australia has always had a drinking culture and the risks of drinking whilst pregnant have always been there. However, the fact that nowadays women either find it difficult to say no in pregnancy or do not want to abstain when out publicly is dreadful.

None of this is rocket science. Even if you are planning to have a baby and are unsure if you are pregnant, the right decision is simply not to venture down the path of drinking at all.

The things you should and should not do during the nine months of pregnancy can drive anyone mad.

I had a friend who absolutely loved eating pate, soft cheeses, deli cold cut meats, soft serve ice cream, sushi and sashimi. However, the risk of miscarriage if she somehow contracted listeria from these favourite foods was enough of an alarm bell for her to abstain for the safety of her unborn child.

This friend told me that while a miscarriage could occur from all sorts of reasons, she would never forgive herself and would always wonder whether it was her selfishness in eating things that had been proven to cause the fatal illness.

Pregnancy is not a walk in the park but, once pregnant, it is not just about you anymore - you immediately take on special responsibilities for the little bundle you will give birth to.

If you can't give up your alcohol, or even sushi, for nine months, what else are you condemning your offspring to? Or will there be a bunch of excuses down the track just waiting to be trotted out too?

We are a nation being forced into making excuses for the inexcusable behaviour of a bunch of selfish people who want to be excused for certain actions that all the rest of us have managed to work out are not acceptable in the circumstances.

Those of us that do the right thing rarely get that pat on the back. However, the ones rebelling at the cold hard facts that drinking in pregnancy is just a no-no seem to elicit all the sympathy.

Do these women who choose to drink during pregnancy, let alone to excessive amounts, really think they are the ones "suffering" by temporarily giving up something they enjoy?

Do they ever stop to think how the rest of us manage for those nine months? Of course not, because no one wants to be told anymore that what they are doing is wrong.

There is always an excuse.

But more disturbing, there is always a vocal minority ready to make excuses for these people who do not deserve any excuse or sympathy for their reckless behaviour and attitude.

Karalee Katsambanis is a mother-of-three and a journalist for more than 20 years. Listen to her on 6PR's PerthTonight with Chris Ilsley between 9pm-10pm on Mondays.